Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 1
मन्दरगिरिवर्णनम् — Description of Mount Mandara as Śiva’s Residence
Tapas-abode
ऋषय ऊचुः । अन्तर्धानगतो देव्या सह सानुचरो हरः । क्व यातः कुत्र वासः किं कृत्वा विरराम ह
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | antardhānagato devyā saha sānucaro haraḥ | kva yātaḥ kutra vāsaḥ kiṃ kṛtvā virarāma ha
Os sábios disseram: «Hara, acompanhado pela Deusa e por Seus assistentes, desapareceu da vista. Para onde foi, onde habita, e após fazer o quê tornou-Se sereno (cessando Sua atividade manifesta)?»
The sages (ṛṣis) of Naimiṣāraṇya
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: The verse frames Śiva’s antardhāna (withdrawal from visibility) with Devī and gaṇas, prompting inquiry into His hidden abode; it functions as a narrative hinge leading to the disclosure of a sacred residence rather than a Jyotirliṅga origin.
Significance: Contemplation of Śiva’s tirodhāna teaches that the Lord is not absent but veiled; it encourages inner seeking and reliance on anugraha to pierce māyā.
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: teaching
Cosmic Event: Antardhāna (divine concealment) as a theological motif aligned with tirodhāna-kṛtya.
FAQs
It highlights Śiva’s antardhāna—His power to withdraw from sensory perception—teaching that the Supreme Pati is not grasped by sight alone but known through devotion, right understanding, and inner yogic awareness.
When Śiva is ‘hidden,’ devotees rely on accessible forms such as the Liṅga (Saguna support) to steady the mind and worship the transcendent Nirguna reality that cannot be confined to a visible location.
A practical takeaway is to intensify japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and meditate on Śiva as the indwelling Lord beyond appearance and disappearance; this aligns outer worship with inner contemplation.